This evening at Flushing Meadows, most people had their eyes on Nadal, Clijsters and Dent but I was looking at all the merchandise that was enhanced by Paul Roger's beautiful image for this year's US Open. And I boasted to anyone who would listen that I knew the illustrator. I even accosted a total stranger and got him to pose holding his cup of beer with a lenticular version of Paul's work.

We watched the Dent match until we felt he no longer needed our cheers, moved on to Clijsters' court just as she won and then witnessed the second and third sets of Nadal vs. Kiefer until we felt that match was securely Nadal's. All three proved us right in bestowing on them our loyalties.